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Adopting health preventive actions is one of the most effective ways to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the theory of planned behavior and the orientation–stimulus–orientation–response model, this study investigated the mechanisms by which health information exposure influenced individuals to adopt self-protective behaviors in the context of infectious disease. In this research, a convenience sampling was used and 2265 valid samples (Male = 843, 68.9% of participants aged range from 18 to 24) were collected in China. Structural equation modeling analysis was performed, and the analysis showed that health consciousness positively influenced the subsequent variables through interpersonal discussions and social media exposure to COVID-19-related information. The interaction between interpersonal discussion and social media exposure was found to be positively associated with the elements of the theory of planned behavior and risk perception. The findings also revealed that self-protective behavior was positively predicted by the components of the theory of planned behavior and risk perceptions, with subjective norms serving as the main predictor, followed by attitudes and self-efficacy.

Background Social media is playing an increasingly important role in public emergencies for help-seekers, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Wuhan, China, firstly official reported COVID-19 cases and implemented lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the virus. People during the first lockdown were restricted from seeking help face-to-face. Social media is more prominent as an online tool for people seeking help, especially for patients, than in other stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective This study aimed to explore the urgent needs presented in help-seeking posts in Wuhan during the first COVID-19 lockdown, the content features of these posts, and how they influenced online user engagement. Methods This study collected posts from Weibo posted with specific help tags during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Wuhan: from 23 January 2020 to 24 March 2020, and eventually received 2055 data, including textual content, comments, retweets, and publishing location. Content analysis was conducted, and manual coding was performed on help-seeking typology, narrative mode, narrative subject, and emotional valence. Results The result showed that help-seeking posts primarily were seeking medical (97.7%). Features of these posts were mainly adopting a mixed narrative mode (46.4%), released by relatives of patients (61.7%), and expressing negative emotions (93.2%). Chi-square tests suggested that help-seeking posts with mixed narrative modes released by relatives express more frequent negative emotions. Results of negative binomial regression indicated posts of seeking information (B = 0.52, p < .001, e0.52 = 1.68), with mixed narrative mode (B = 0.63, p < .001, e0.63 = 1.86), released by themselves (as referential groups) and with neutral emotions increased comments. Posts of seeking medical (B = 0.57, p < .01, e0.57 = 1.77), with mixed narrative mode (B = 1.88, p < .001, e1.88 = 6.53), released by people of unrelated patients (B = 0.47, p < .001, e0.47 = 1.60) and with neutral emotions increased retweets. Conclusions This study provides evidence of what actual public demands are to be considered and addressed by governments and public administrators before implementing closure and lockdown policies to limit the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, our findings offer strategies for people help-seeking on social media in similar public health emergencies.